Carton converting machine



June 5, 1956 c. z. MONROE ET AL CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE Original Filed April 15, 1948 4 Sheets-Shae. l

rwvemrrcra/ Charles Z. fi'1onv-oe YLorton G- Qagmovxd.

TTORNE- June 5, 1956 z. MONROE ET AL 2,748,833

CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE Original Filed April 15, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 T J I was Charles Z-qnovuroe qlcvton G. Tlcmgmond.

June 5, 1956 c. z. MONROE ET AL CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sl'me- 4 Original Filed April 15, 1948 NVSN'VQR-J Cha vl e s Z.

GYnonr-oe.

United States Patent '0 CARTON CONVERTING MACHINE Charles Z. Monroe and Norton G. Raymond, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Ex-Cell-O Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original application April 15, 1948, Serial No. 21,236,

now Patent No. 2,682,208, dated June 29, 1954. Divided and this application November 16, 1953, Serial No. 392,325

4 Claims. (Cl. 154-423) The present invention relates to carton converting machines and others of like nature for performing one or more operations on a continuous web of paperboard or other flexible material drawn therethrough. More particularly, the invention relates to means for protecting the machine from unduly thick portions in the web.

The instant application is a division of applicants copending application Serial No. 21,296, filed April 15, 1948, now Patent 2,682,208.

it is the general aim of the present invention to provide a protective assembly for handling a continuous web of paperboard or the like prior to its being fed to the working parts of a machine of the general type disclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned application.

More specifically, it is an object to provide such a protective assembly having means for (1) detecting unduly thick portions of the Web to prevent them from going into and damaging the machine, and (2) affording the convenient removal of such thick portions and the making of a smooth thin splice in the web easily accommodated by the machine without iniury to the latter.

Another object is to provide an improved thickness detector which is simple in organization and construction yet reliable in operation.

A further object is to provide a splice bed for effecting a smooth web splice readily accommodated by a machine, the splice bed being arranged and means provided to afford access to the entire Width of the web.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the following detailed description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation depicting in its entirety an illustrative machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view or" the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one type of carton made from blanks fabricated upon the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective stop-motion view showing a major portion of a Web of sheet material being processed by the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the protective splice bed assembly.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a splice detector mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary end elevational View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, a preferred embodiment has been illustrated in the drawings and will be described below in considerable detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form shown, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Inasmuch as the present invention finds especially advantageous, but not exclusive, employment in a carton connecting machine of the type described in the aforemachine.

2,748,833 Patented June 5, 1956 mentioned copending application, such a machine will be briefly considered here as one environment of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the invention is there exemplified in an illustrative carton convert ing machine (Figs. 1 and 2) powered by a main driving motor M and arranged to operate upon an elongate web W of paperboard or other flexible material. Adjacent one end of the machine 50 is a relatively massive, bridgelike frame 51 whereon provision is made for rotatably supporting two separate rolls 52, 54 of paperboard stock, one roll being used to supply the machine and the other serving as a stand-by. In order to prevent delivery of stock to the machine 50 at a rate faster than the latter can handle, a condition which might arise upon a decrease in speed, a friction brake is mounted on the frame 51 for cooperation with a drum unitary with each supporting shaft 52A, 54A of the respective supply rolls 52, S4. The brake 55 is manually adjustable to produce various degrees of frictional drag on the drum and supporting shaft of the particular supply roll feeding the At the innermost or right hand end of the frame 51 and supported between a pair of upstanding arms 56 unitary with the frame is a protective assembly 58 over which the web W is led before processing in the machine 56.

longitudinally spaced from the right hand end of the frame 51. but rigidly connected thereto as by means of a pair of laterally spaced, parallel bed rails 59 is the main printing roller assembly as of a multicolor printing unit 61. An inking mechanism 62 is mounted on the rails 59 for bodily sliding movement relative to the roller assembly as. A hand wheel 64 carried by the mechanism 52 serves as a convenient means for sliding the same, being drivingly connected to a pinion (not shown) which meshes with a rack on one of the bed rails 59. The unit 61, which is of somewhat conventional construction, is adapted to print advertising material or other indicia upon the web W. In order to dry the ink quickly prior to further processing of the web, the latter is passed under a drier 65 which in the present instance is heated by superheated steam. Y

Disposed in longitudinally spaced relationship with the printing unit 61 and rigidly connected to the main printing roll assembly 60 by means of a pair of laterally spaced bed rails 66 is a relatively massive roller arrangement which serves as a blank defining means 68. In the illustrative machine 5i), such means comprises a pair of heavy, laterally spaced frame panels 69 which rotatably support three longitudinally spaced pairs of rolls or couples 70, 70A, 71, 71A and 72, 72A arranged to operate in succession upon the web W and in registration with the printing thereon. To insure registration under all operating conditions, these rolls are driven in timed relation with each other and also with the printing unit 61. The first pair of rolls or couples 70, 70A, is arranged to grip the web between them in a scoring or embossing operation which serves to define the necessary fold lines in each of the blanks. The second pair of rolls 71, 71A grips the scored Web and cuts almost all the Way through the thickness thereof to define the perimeter of each carton blank. The web W is thereupon fed to the third pair of rolls or couples 72, 72A, which coact to strip the scrap portions from the former, leaving successive blanks still connected along their respective parting lines.

For the purpose of separating the connected blanks in the web W and delivering the same in an orderly manner, a separating and stacking means 74 is operatively disposed adjacent the left hand or output end of the blank defining means 68. The separating and stacking means 74 comprises a frame structure mounted on a pair of bed rails 75 for bodily sliding movement relative to the blank defining 3 means 68, a handwheel 76 being provided for producing such movement.

The weight of the entire machine is borne upon a plurality of adjustable feet 78 disposed at strategic locations under the major frame elements and the various connecting bed rails 59, 66 and 75. The feet 7 8 also serve as a convenient expedient for leveling up the frame members upon erection of the machine.

In the present instance and merely by way of example, the machine 50 is set up to produce paperboard blanks for tubular containers 79 like the one illustrated in Fig. 3 and commonly referred to in the art as a gable-topped container. Such containers find wide utility in connection with the packaging of milk, cream and other dairy products.

Referring in particular to Fig. 4, there is shown in stopmotion a major portion of the web W as it is acted upon by the blank defining means 68 and the separating and stacking means 74. Thus the web, which is of sufficient width to make two carton blanks side by side, enters the means 68 where it is pressed between the scoring rolls 70, 70A. The latter coact along the axis a-'a, embossing the paperboard to define the fold lines for the carton sides S, the side seam gluing flap G, and the fractional top closure panels T. Further along, the web is engaged upon the transverse axis bb by the cutting rolls 71, 71A, which bite into the paperboard to define the external perimeter of each blank as well as the bottom closure flaps B and the fiap P for the pouring opening. At the same time, the rolls 71, 71A also define a ribbon R of waste material at each edge of the web as well as gluing flap scraps GS, bottom flap relief scraps RS, and pouring opening scraps PS in the interior portion of the web. The stripper rolls 72, 72A act upon the web along the axis c--c and thus remove the waste ribbons R and the interior scraps GS, RS. Upon the passage of the web W from the blank defining means 68 and into the separating and stacking means 74, a separating couple 80, 80A grips the Web along the axis dd, tearing the blanks loose from the processed web and effecting a lateral separation of the blanks as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4.

In accordance with the invention, a protective assembly at the left end of the machine receives the web W prior to its passage into the machines working parts. This assembly, designated generally above by the reference numeral 58, comprises a splice detector 81, a splice bed 82, and a decurler 84 (see Figs. 1, 2 and The splice detector 81 (Figs. 6 and 7) is primarily a device for measuring the thickness of the web W across its entire face at the earliest practicable point after it has been unreeled from either the roll 52 or the roll 54. In the manufacture of paperboard, it occasionally happens that a web which has been spliced at one or more points along its length is wound in a roll in such condition. The manufacturer, when making a splice of this nature, frequently leaves the ends of the web torn in irregular outline and overlapped for a considerable distance making the spliced portion double the normal web thickness. It is highly undesirable to run a web with a manufacturers splice through a machine such as the one described herein. This is true not only because a certain number of defective blanks would be produced, but also because of the strong possibility that damage might result to the machine through tearing and tangling of the web in the rollers. While it is the custom of paper manufacturers to mark spliced rolls, this practice is sometimes omitted, and it therefore becomes necessary to detect such splices automatically.

It is to the solution of this problem that the present invention is directed, providing means for positively detecting a spliced or unduly thick portion in the traveling web, in order to stop the machine before damage can result therefrom, and means for accomplishing removal of the thick portion and resplicing of the web.

According to the invention as here embodied, a pair of fixed brackets 85 are rigidly attached to respective ones of the upstanding frame arms 56. Journaled between the brackets 85 and spanning the arms 56 is a relatively large idler roller 86 over which the web W is led shortly after it leaves the supply rolls 53, 54. Also spanning the brackets 85 and journaled therein is a rockshaft 88 to which is rigidly secured a pair of laterally spaced arms 89. The latter are joined at their extremities by a pair of stiffener bars 90 which merely provide additional rigidity. The arms 89 are, in turn, spanned by a supporting shaft on which is journaled a detector idler 91 of relatively small radius compared with the roller 86. The arrangement thus provides for the idler 91 to be translatable in a direction transverse to the axis of the roller 86 by virtue of its being journaled in a carriage, formed by the arms 89 and bars 90, which is pivoted in the frame. The idler 91 is adapted to follow the contour of the upper surface of the web W by virtue of its own weight tending to rock it into contact with the roller 86. Additional spring biasing may be employed, if desired. In the event that a manufacturers splice or other thick defect should pass between the rollers 86 and 91, the increased web thickness due to such splice would tend to separate these rollers and thereby rock the arms 89 clockwise (Fig. 7) about their pivot points.

Provision is made for utilizing the rocking movement of the arms 89 due to the detection of a splice to actuate an appropriate signal or control in order that the machine may be promptly stopped as by dynamic braking. This is accomplished in the present instance by mounting a laterally projecting finger 92 on one of the arms 89. The finger 92 carries an upstanding pin 94 which is arranged to actuate the plunger 95 of a microswitch 96 rigidly mounted upon an adjacent one of the fixed brackets 85. The switch 96 can readily be arranged to actuate a suitable signal or alternatively can be connected into an appropriate motor control circuit which stops the motor M promptly upon the splice passing between the rollers 86 and 91. Preferably, this switch is not of the automatic resetting type, but is equipped with a manual reset plunger 98 for such purpose. In order to establish terminal points for the rocking movement of the arms 89, a pair of adjustable mechanical stops 99, 100 are mounted on the bracket 85 for coaction with the outermost end of the projecting finger 92 on the arm 89.

The splice bed 82 (Fig. 5) is formed with a vertically disposed plane face 101 which is traversed by a narrow groove 102 running at an angle in the neighborhood of 30 degrees to the horizontal. Stated another way, the groove 102 makes an angle of about 60 degrees with the direction of web travel. The groove 102 is flanked on either side by clamps 104, normally spaced apart from the face 101 but movable into abutment therewith by means of their respective operating handles 104A, 105A.

Upon detection of a splice in the web by the device 81 the machine 50 will be quickly brought to a stop. After opening the original splice by drawing a knife across the web in the spliced region, the lower clamp 104 can then be tightened on the trailing end portion of that section of the web (the old web) which is threaded through the machine. A knife blade can then be drawn across the groove 102 so as to sever the trailing end of the old web above the groove. The upper clamp 105 can thereupon be tightened upon the leading end portion of the web section still attached to the supply roll (the new web), after such section has been lapped over the groove 102. Upon the severing of the leading end of the new web below the groove as by drawing a knife across the latter, the adjacent web ends will have been cut on the same diagonal. Consequently, the trailing end of the old" web and the leading end of the new web can be brought into abutment and joined by means of a piece of adhesive tape to form a splice which can be safely fed through the machine 50, thereby eliminating the need for rethreading the machine. The new splice, being made on a diagonal line, does not pass at one instant between the scoring rolls 70, 70A or the cutting rolls 71, 71A and thus does not tend to spread or damage them. Also, the new splice is preferably not formed by lapped ends, so that it is not of objectionable thickness.

In order to permit ready access to the splice bed 82 on the part of an operator, a walkway 106 is provided transversely of the machine 50. Thus an operator standing on the walkway 106 can conveniently reach any and all parts of the bed 82 regardless of the width of web which it might be adapted to handle.

The decurler 84 (Figs. 1 and 2) comprises a pair of vertically spaced draw rolls 108, 109, located immediately below the splice bed and operatively associated with a small diameter decurler roll 110 interposed between the rolls 108 and 109 but ofrset therefrom. The object of this device is of course to neutralize the set or curvature acquired by the paperboard stock when wound into a supply roll. Accordingly, the web is led from the splice detector down across the splice bed and thence to the upper draw roll 108. From here, the web is bent sharply around the decurler roll 110 upon an are having an opposite curvature to that of either supply roll. Upon leaving the roll 110, the web passes around the second draw roll 109 and then around a suitable guide roll, finally running under the walkway 106 and thence to the printing unit 61. The decurler roll 110 is journaled in floating bearings having adjustable biasing springs which oppose the tension in the bight of web passing around the roll 110.

For further details of the working parts of the machine and its operation, reference may be had to the above-identified copending application. It is believed that from the foregoing the operation and advantages of the protective thickness detecting and splicing assembly will be apparent. However, such operation will be briefly summarized.

The web W is drawn through the machine 50 by means driven by the motor M, the initial tension in the web as it leaves the supply roll 52 being regulated by means of the friction brake 55. The web passes from the roll 52 up and over the idler roll 86 in the splice detector 81, thence downward across the vertical face 101 of the splice bed 82, through the decurler 84, and then horizontally from the assembly and beneath the walkway 106 to printing roller assembly 60 and the other parts of the machine.

The idler 91 rises and falls with changes in the thickness by virtue of its pivoted carriage, its weight biasing it into contact with the web W as the latter passes over the roller 86. The carriage and the arms 89 are thus rocked in response to the thickness of the web. When a portion of the passing web has an undue thickness, for example a manufactures splice, which might injure the machine, and the arms 89 are rocked a predetermined amount, the adjustable pin 94 strikes the plunger 54 to actuate the switch 96. This may serve to promptly stop the motor M so that the web is brought to a standstill with the thick portion lying against the splice bed.

By making two quick passes with a knife through the groove 102 the thick portion may be cut out of the web. The clamps 104 and 105 may be engaged before each cut, leaving the severed ends of the web cut on a matching diagonal and in abutting relation so that they may be joined by tape. The clamps may then be released and the machine restarted.

In making the cuts and resplicing the web, the operator has complete access to the web across its entire width by walking upon the walkway 106. It is not necessary to climb upon or lean over parts which move when the machine is running, thereby involving danger of injury should the machine inadvertently be started.

We claim:

1. In a carton converting machine adapted to receive a continuously moving web of flexible material and to produce therefrom a series of completely severed carton blanks, the combination of means for supplying a web under tension to said machine, a splice detector for automatically determining the presence of a manufacturers splice in the web, a vertically disposed splice bed for facilitating resplicing of the web upon the detection of a splice therein, and a walkway immediately adjacent said splice bed rendering the same readily accessible to an operator regardless of the width of the web thereon.

2. In a machine for performing operations on a web of flexible material moving therethrough; the combination of means for supplying a web under tension to said machine; a thickness detector including a pair of rolls between which said web is passed in contact therewith, a first of said rolls being journaled in fixed bearings, the second of said rolls being journaled in translatable bearings and urged toward said first roll, and means responsive to translation of said second roll to indicate an abnormal thickness in said web; a splice bed including a vertical face over which said web passes, a groove being defined in said face oriented at an acute angle with respect to the direction of web travel, and retractable clamps on either side of said groove for holding the ends of severed webs; a decurling assembly including a pair of spaced draw rolls and a decurler roll of smaller diameter than said draw rolls offset from a line connecting the axes of said draw rolls, said web being passed first over one of said draw rolls, then over said decurler roll, and thence over said other draw roll.

3. In a machine for performing operations on a web of flexible material, the combination of motive means for drawing said web through the machine, a splice detector through which said web is drawn including a member movable in response to the thickness of said web and operative to stop said motive means upon movement indicating an unduly thick portion in said web, a vertical splice bed over which said web is drawn after passing through said detector and including a cutting groove defined therein and clamp means for splicing said web along a line having an acute angle with the direction of web travel, and a horizontal walkway disposed adjacent said splice bed ot afford access thereto, said web being passed beneath the walkway after leaving the splice bed.

4. In a machine for performing operations on a web of flexible material drawn therethrough, the combination of a splice bed including a vertically disposed face over which the web is passed vertically downward, there being a cutting groove defined across said bed at an acute angle with respect to the direction of web travel, releasable clamps on either side of said groove for holding ends of a severed web, means directing said web to pass horizontally from the lower portion of said bed ot the machine, and a horizontal walkway disposed vertically above the web as it leaves said bed, thereby providing access for an operator to said slot and clamps across the entire width of said bed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,217,252 Williamson Feb. 27, 1917 1,220,556 Reisbach Mar. 27, 1917 2,179,517 Pelosi Nov. 14, 1939 2,196,103 Coolidge et al. Apr. 2, 1940 2,606,136 Garrett et al Aug. 5, 1952 

